Playground
by BluFin
Summary: Maybe a simple act of 'kindness' could end up as something more [Modern AU]
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Maybe a simple act of 'kindness' could end up as something more. (Modern AU)**

 **Pairings: Eila x Perrine and other pairings as well**

* * *

 **CHAPTER I**

Stupid. This plan was stupidly hilarious.

Sure, Eila has written a bunch of songs- love songs as a request from other people, but this one has yet to be Eila's most cliche work. Hell, even a simple kid could laugh at this with just a glance.

She sighs and sets down her pen. If only she declined this offer, maybe she would be spared from the shame that would most likely happen within a week. But what could she say? That the prompt for this song was too cheesy? No, she'd never say that. She'd keep her mouth shut as long as her reputation was still high.

Eila stares at her 'progressive' work in front of her, the scribble of each and every word making her grimace. It was too cliche, cheesy, and Eila wanted to rip the paper and toss it into a nearby furnace. She wouldn't want to scar anyone's eyes with such lyrics.

But the thing was, Eila made a deal. She made a deal to create this song for a price of a few dollars. Eila accepted it, thinking that it was such an incredible idea and the money was so important that she could avoid work for a few days. Now Eila regrets this idea. She'd rather live on mount Kilimanjaro than write another set of these.

She sighs once more, crumpling the paper and tossing it into her bin where all the other crumpled sheets lay.

If she had just declined the offer...

* * *

 _Yesterday_

"Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Eila could almost feel her eyebrow twitch and the basketball in her hand has slipped off. All that remains in her grasp was a single sheet of paper with a few words written on it.

 _The most romantic love song you can write._

"Mio, are you kidding me? This is far from your taste of music," Eila stares at Mio with a confused look on her face, "Why would you want me to write this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mio eyes her for a bit before retrieving the basketball a few feet away from her. The basketball court was silent, and only their breathing and Mio's footsteps could be heard. Eila turns around and faces Mio, hand on her hip and paper slightly crumpled from the other.

"Tell me one thing. Who is this for?" Eila glances at the paper and meets Mio's curious stare, "I want to know the person that created your love-sickness."

Mio snorts. "First of all, it's not love-sickness or anything," she dribbles the ball, "And I think it's obvious."

Eila folds the paper and places it in her jean pocket before walking towards her friend. "Give me the ball."

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Just give it."

"Not until I have the answer I want," Mio's hand smoothly glides the ball out of Eila's reach.

"Which is?" Eila was getting annoyed at this point, and every advance she makes to get the basketball was a fail. Violet eyes glare at olive ones.

"I won't give you the ball until you write this song."

"I'll do it, just give me the ball."

"How would I know that you'd finish the song within a week?"

"A week? Are you insane?!"

"Yes, apparently I am. Are you up for this?"

Eila finally snatched the ball from Mio's grasp and takes a few steps backward. She stares at Mio with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

"What makes you think that I can finish this song within a week?"

Mio stays silent for a bit before answering once more. "How about I do your homework?"

"Uh, as if I'd let you do that. I can do stuff on my own Major."

"Then how about I pay you?"

At those magical words, Eila gulped and felt a bead of sweat roll down her face. She knew she was fucked.

* * *

Eila stands up and throws herself on her bed, nuzzling her face into her pillow. God, just remembering what happened yesterday was already frustrating enough for her. It was already putting real hard pressure on her. And she only had one week to do all of this.

It wasn't as if she hated Mio for this. Sure, she may have had times that she completely disliked Mio on a couple of occations (being strict to her during training, her food diet, her sleep diet... well, everything) but she can't really say that she hates her senior. While Mio can be completely strict to Eila and her friends on and off the game, she can be awfully caring as well.

All of a sudden her phone rings, disrupting her inner reverie. It takes a while for her to actually locate her phone, just to realize that it was just sitting on her bedside table. Eila picks it up and checks the Caller I.D.

 _Unknown_

Huh.

Mysterious caller dialing her in the midst of the afternoon while she was writing a love song?

Answer it?

Her thumb hovers between the flashing red and green buttons that her phone depicts. A part of Eila wants to press the red button and ignore the caller, but the other half of her _dares_ her to press the green button.

.

.

.

Why not?

Eila gingerly presses her finger against the button and she waits for at least three seconds just to hear if the caller would talk up first.

Silence.

She mentally sighs. Eila always has to make the first move apparently.

"Hello?"

"Is this Eila Juutilainen?" the caller speaks up, almost hesitantly. In Eila's case, this sounded like someone all too familiar. Eila glances at the caller I.D., just to make sure that what she was hearing was correct.

"Uh... Perrine...?"

Eila could almost hear the shuffling of feet, muffled streams of curses and screams, and a thud. _Almost_.

"H-How'd you know?"

"I can tell by your voice...?" Eila blinks as she realizes something else, "Hey, how'd you get my number?"

"N-None of your business!" she could almost feel Perrine's cheeks flare up from the other line, "Anyways, I've got news for you."

"Which is...?"

"Don't continue Sakamoto-san's request."

With that, Perrine hung up the phone much to Eila's curiosity and dismay. The latter one stares at her phone, palm against cheek, and wonders what Perrine must be up to to make such a request. She almost starts _calculating_ on what may be the possible _reasons_ for this mini ruckus.

A plan to stop Mio?

.

.

.

Definitely a plan to stop Mio.

* * *

 **Been wanting to write this piece for a long time. It's been a year, I think. Chapter may look a little rushed and some characters can be a little, uh, not themselves but I'll fix that in the future. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Reviews and criticisms are appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter summary** : In which Eila is extremely late to practice and bumps into the last person she expected.

 **A/N** : so, im sorry for not touching this story for a... year? ahaha some things just took up most of my time that i forgot about this story i started. y'all might not be interested in this anymore, and uh, thanks to whoever reads this! reviews and criticisms are appreciated :)

* * *

 **CHAPTER II**

"Oh, I'm in trouble alright..." Eila mutters to herself as she rushes down the sidewalk, not giving a single shit about bumping into other people at this rate. Or to add, accidentally stepping into puddles, filling up her shoes with water.

It was 5:30 in the afternoon, and Eila promised that she'll come back to school in thirty minutes (she left at 3 with a smile on her face "aw, do you doubt the great Eila Juutilainen?") after dismissal to practice with her volleyball team. Hell, she even set up at least 10 alarms to remind herself.

But in Eila's case, some promises had to be broken.

Her job took at the convenience store took a bit longer than usual since there were more customers than expected. She couldn't blame them though; the news announced that there was a typhoon the next day and _of course_ people would like to stock up on goods. The moment Eila left, however, her manager dragged her back in the store for another 'few' minutes to stock up some items. Eila escaped, putting her shift into the hands of a reluctant co-worker ("I know you're probably annoyed with me since this is probably the billionth time I've asked for you to take my shift but this is really important and my captai-" "Alright, alright"). But as she finally left the building, it seemed that her day got worse.

It started raining.

Eila groaned loudly as a car sped by, soaking her clothes further. Her backpack was getting drenched and she prays that the contents inside aren't as wet. She kept on running until she finds a seemingly empty bus stop. Whether there's people or not, at least it would be able to keep Eila sheltered until the rain stops.

 _It's been over an hour by now... I most likely won't make it to practice..._

She opens her bag and silently thanked the gods that the inside of her bag was just a bit damp and most of her stuff are untouched by water. Eila grabs her phone and immediately contacts Mio, bracing herself for the intense yelling that can overpower the sound of rain.

It takes only a few rings until the phone picks up, and her ears pick up the sound of a passively aggressive, _/hello?/_

Eila sighs. It wasn't Mio who picked up but at least she'll be able to deal with her explanation with much more ease.

"Hey, Barkhorn, I know I'm late but-"

 _/Eila, you do realize you're an hour and thirty minutes late right?/_

"Yeah, I'll try to-"

 _/Don't rush all the way here. The rain would get harder and you'll get soaked./_

Eila couldn't tell if Barkhorn truly cared or just loved to cut her in between sentences. Either way, Eila was a bit miffed. She literally had to walk out in the rain just to get to practice on time, risking herself getting sick, and here she was: standing underneath the shelter of a bus stop with the rain pouring harder than expected with no way to get home.

(Unless somebody would pick her up, but Eila would be asking for a bit too much.)

She'd rather keep quiet about being annoyed. Besides, there's nothing Eila could do about it.

"Ah, thanks for telling me Barkhorn. I would've run into the rain if I hadn't called you first," Eila tried to sound very appreciative, and she felt a sense of accomplishment when she heard Barkhorn sigh in relief.

 _/Really? That's good then. Ah, by the way- /_

Barkhorn's message was cut off by a noise. Probably Hartmann, Eila assumed.

 _/I'll tell you later. Anyways, I'll ask the Mio to excuse you from today's training. I'll see you tomorrow, Juutilainen/_

Barkhorn hangs up before Eila could have a chance to at least say goodbye.

* * *

"Hey, hey!"

She turns around promptly. She didn't want to notice her at the moment; she was rather focused on typing a message to a certain cheerleading captain.

"Trude! Trudie~! Hey!"

Gertrud Barkhorn saves her message, and abruptly turns to face the one and only Erica Hartmann with an annoyed glare. "Yes, Hartmann?"

Erica just smiles and places both her hands behind her head in a carefree manner, as if she didn't disrupt Gertrud from something important.

"Well, I was just wondering about who you were texting."

Gertrud's eye twitched. She couldn't decide wether she should punch the blonde or just toss her into the middle of the Bermuda Triangle.

"No one important! Now go find Mio and inform her that Eila won't be joining training today!" she barks, standing up from the bleachers. Gertrud's voice echoes throughout the wide, silent gymnasium. Erica groans.

"Fiiiiine. But you better give me a break from running!" And with that Erica was off in a lazy jog.

Gertrud waited until the footsteps faded into silence. Once she was sure that no one occupied the gymnasium except for her, Gertrud whips out her phone and quickly types her waiting message.

 _Please pick up Eila and keep her safe. Bring a towel and a hot beverage on your way, just in case. She might be along the road on the way to the convenience store. Please, you're the only one I can ask to do this._

 _Barkhorn_

She sends it without hesitation.

Her only worry now is if the recipient would comply to her request.

* * *

Eila sighs as she plops down against the near-rusted seats of the bus stop.

That Barkhorn... she should learn how to at least let the other caller say their reply.

With nothing but the chilly winds and the loud downpour of the rain to accompany her, Eila leans into the seat. It'd take a while for the rain to stop or lessen. She might as well make herself comfy against the bus stop's cold, rusty benches. As a result, she began to feel sleepy.

But as Eila streched as she yawned, she saw something move at the right corner of her eye. Because of the sudden move(In truth, she was frightened. Eila hated it when something shifts via unbelievable phenomenon), she unconsciously turns to face the source and if she felt sleepy before, Eila felt like she ate a stack full of energy bars for breakfast.

Wearing a jacket that was perfectly camouflaged against the seats of the bus stop was a girl that Eila never wanted to see. If there was a list that contained the names of people that Eila never wanted to see, her own name would come up at number one. But the runner up would be the infamous -

"Sanya..."

How did Eila not notice her? Had she become blind?

Sanya shifts, blinking her eyes slowly, as if to adjust to her surroundings. It looked like she just woke up. But if the gray haired girl was surprised, she didn't show it.

"Eila..? What are you doing here?"

"I..." Eila felt like she was choking on her own saliva, but clears her throat and continues softly, "I was just waiting for the rain to pass by. You though..."

Eila continues, desperately trying to swallow down the painful lump that formed in her throat.

"Shouldn't you be with Miyafuji?"

Silence ensued and Eila felt like laughing at her own stupidity. What kind of fucking stupid ass questio-

"I'm on my way to her house but the bus seems to take a while to get here," Sanya says softly, averting her gaze from Eila to the infinite pattering of rain. Eila was left to stare at the side of Sanya's face, both girls seeming to look like they were in a trance.

Silence reigns again, enveloping the both of them. It didn't take long for the atmosphere to become unsteady, and Eila felt her throat constrict once more.

Eila wanted to talk to her. To ask her what happened. To ask her: "Hey, what's up? It's been a long time since we've _communicated like normal human beings_ so why don't we catch up on what we've missed? lmao, lol"

But it's not that fucking easy.

It wasn't just a long time to her. To Eila, she hadn't even at least said 'hi' to Sanya in one entire semester and a half. To Eila, she had been snobbish to Sanya her entire second year of high school and this year, halfway through her final semester, she had said at least _some_ words to the younger girl.

But it's not enough.

 _It's not fucking enough._

Eila spent years building up their friendship, only for it to topple down like a house of cards with a tiny blow. It'd be almost unreasonable for her to want more conversations with her former _friend_ since Eila herself broke up their relationship.

But what can she do?

All Eila can do now is long for a person she no longer has in her reach.

In anger, she grabs her backpack and searches for her phone. Eila lets her hand roam blindly until she feels a foreign material against her fingers. Her eyes widen. It couldn't be -

She grabs the item and pulls it out. Eila groans.

An umbrella.

Oh, look, with a bonus note from her co-worker that read: " _knew that you'd be in a hurry so i dropped in my umbrella. best of luck!_ "

'I'm such a blind ass motherfucker...' Eila thought to herself, 'I should really thank her on the next shift.'

Well, now that she had her umbrella, she could leave.

But what about Sanya?

.

.

.

It'd be rude to leave her like this.

Eila stands up and walks slowly to the gray-haired girl. Each step felt heavy, and her body was trembling with the desire to drop everything and run. But Eila can't do it; she was strong, she can make it through this... obstacle. It wasn't until Sanya was looking up at her with surprise when Eila noticed that her hands shook greatly, as if she had dipped them into icy water.

 _Fuck_.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I am ahaha," Eila laughs nervously, her gaze shifting from Sanya's soft bangs (even at this weather, it still looks fluffy jesus-) to the top of the bus stop, "It's just cold, that's all."

Sanya nods slowly, with a slight look of disbelief on her face.

Eila sighs, she takes Sanya's hands and places the umbrella gently against the latter's palm. They both blush.

"Miyafuji must be waiting for you. Don't keep her waiting," Eila's voice was soft and quiet, opposite to the way she usually spoke. Her violet eyes were shielded by her bangs, and Eila's lips (oh god) quivered, almost unnoticable unless if you looked closely. It was a bad habit Eila always did whenever she was shy or embarrassed. Sanya's face felt hot. When was the last time she had seen this side of Eila?

Before Sanya could even squeak a tiny "thanks", Eila sprinted into rain, clumsily grabbing her bag in her haste.

Eila didn't want to look back.

Not now, not ever.

The rain seemed to grow harder as she continues to run. In which direction, she didn't know. She didn't care. Hell, Eila didn't care if she got kidnapped at this point. All she wanted to do was run far, far away so that no one could see her cry.

Maybe if Eila ran fast enough, the pain in her heart would stop.


End file.
